by Nathaniel Nathaniel Hawthorne
First published 2018
This collection presents three incomplete works that Nathaniel Hawthorne left unfinished at his death. In "The Dolliver Romance," an elderly apothecary discovers an elixir that promises eternal life but struggles with its moral implications. "Fanshawe" follows a scholarly young man at a New England college who must choose between academic pursuits and worldly action when danger threatens the woman he loves. "Septimius Felton" centers on a young man obsessed with achieving immortality during the Revolutionary War, leading him down increasingly dark paths. Each fragment reveals Hawthorne's continued fascination with guilt, mortality, and the price of knowledge. Though unfinished, these stories showcase the psychological complexity and moral questioning that defined his complete novels. The manuscripts offer readers a glimpse into Hawthorne's creative process and his enduring preoccupation with the shadowy corners of human nature.
Genres: classic-literature, american-fiction, historical-fiction, 19th-century
Vibes: dark, emotional, thought-provoking
Tropes: dark-academia, moral-questioning, psychological-complexity
Setting: New England
Period: Revolutionary War
530 pages · Paperback · Palala Press